UCSD - University of California - San Diego

04/06/2026 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 04/06/2026 03:16

‘Syria is in My Heart’

Published Date

April 06, 2026

Article Content

One of Sarab Aziz's first interactions in her role as UC San Diego's Department of History Events Coordinator was meeting a former coworker of her sister's - at the U.S. Embassy in Damascus, Syria. That connection to her homeland, from which she emigrated in the 1990s, was the start of an enriching community on campus. Aziz shares in her own words the power of building community and how, by just being yourself, you can be an educator.

There is something very powerful about making a new place feel like home.

Parts of the San Diego coastline look so much like Syria. Citrus trees are prominent in both regions. When I turn a corner here, I sometimes catch a glimpse of where I came from.

I carry Syria with me everywhere; it is always in my heart. When I introduce myself, I say I am both Syrian to the bones and a very proud American. That dichotomy shaped who I am and has led me to become a lifelong educator, just by being myself.

A Long Road to Belonging

I was born and raised in Damascus, Syria, and am very grateful my parents sent me to a private school to learn English. My brother came to the U.S. in 1979 for school and after he graduated, he was hired by a company that offered him citizenship. He applied for my parents, and my parents applied for my siblings and me.

I arrived in the U.S. in the 1990s with experience working for multiple international organizations, including UNICEF, a global oil corporation and an international school. But when I moved here, my experience did not translate into American professional life. I tried so many times to find a job and couldn't.

Related content

Arab American Heritage Month

Every April, UC San Diego observes Arab American Heritage Month. This year's theme, "Many Voices, One Community," highlights the diverse identities, cultures and experiences of Arab Americans from 22 nations while celebrating their shared values, unity and resilience within the United States.

All faculty, staff and students are invited to participate in UC San Diego's Arab American Heritage Celebration Banquet on Thursday, April 16, 2026, from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. in Price Center Ballroom West.

This meaningful celebration will feature a dynamic lineup of speakers and performers, including dancer, choreographer and author Ahmad Joudeh, DJ music by Ola Almasri, cultural dance by Zaytouna Dabke Group and an authentic Arabic meal catered by Tahini.

After finding work through temporary agencies, I learned about an opportunity to serve as a contractor with the U.S. Navy, teaching Arabic and sharing my culture with active duty sailors. It was the most rewarding and interesting experience. To teach my culture and language, I had to dive deeper into it than I ever had. Simultaneously, the Navy personnel earned my respect and love in ways I never expected.

In 2017, I joined UC San Diego's Department of History. My first week, I was delivering mail in the faculty lounge when a professor introduced himself as Michael Provence. I returned the introduction and he said, "Aziz, are you by any chance related to…" and he mentioned my sister. It turns out, they had worked at the U.S. Embassy in Damascus together while he was a Fulbright scholar completing his Ph.D. in Syria. Uncovering a connection to my family thousands of miles from home is how I knew I was where I was meant to be.

Building Community

As long as I had been in the U.S., I aspired to work at UC San Diego. But now that I was here, it felt like something was missing: my community on campus. Being in and building community has always been a big part of my life; in Syria, community is everything.

A couple of years ago, an on-campus experience pushed me to make a change.

I was volunteering at a Ramadan iftar, serving food to our fasting students, in my Arabic attire and big Arabic earrings. A student approached and asked in English if I speak Arabic. I told her I did and after my shift, we chatted about her experience on campus. She transferred to UC San Diego and hadn't felt connected to campus until she saw me, with my Arabic earrings and attire. She would've loved to know if there was any Arab American community on campus.

This interaction inspired me to co-found the Arab American Faculty and Staff Association in 2023. I wanted students to be able to see other people on campus who share similar histories and experiences, and know they weren't alone. I'm so grateful I could help create a beautiful community at UC San Diego.

To me, this is why heritage months are so powerful. Through the Arab American Faculty and Staff Association, people from every corner of the campus know there is a place for them. That community I had once longed for is now providing a home for so many.

Establishing the Arab American Faculty and Staff Association has transformed my experience at UC San Diego. It has taken me back to one of the most meaningful experiences in my life: sharing my culture with Navy sailors and knowing that, just by being me, I can share the beauty of my culture.

I'm so grateful that I can contribute to this rich community on campus, and honor the threads between the two countries I love.

Through the Arab American Faculty and Staff Association, people from every corner of the campus know there is a place for them. That community I had once longed for is now providing a home for so many. - Sarab Aziz
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